Author: Brent Evans

Back at it on a Monday . . . and I sooooooo wasn’t feeling it today either. I had read or heard that if you wake up within 15 minutes of your alarm, you should just get up.  Today, I woke up 20 minutes before the alarm and chose to just lay there.  I probably should have gotten up.  In fact, I know that I should have done that because I laid there awake not doing anything but thinking about getting up. 

Again, I know that I had heard this “15 minutes or less before the alarm – just get up” rule before because I had it written down on my pad.  So, like with anything you’re looking for – I “googled” it.  Ugh, there are so many tips on sleeping.  Too much.  I just know that all people are definitely different.  I mean, 7 to 8 hours is typically what’s needed, but then there are the Jocko Willnick’s in the world . . . who needs 4 or less.  Check out this book of his.

But you know what – I did get up at the alarm. And – I ran! Doing this vlog every day . . . I just can’t imagine having to come on and saying that I didn’t. So, thank you.

QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.” – Michael Jordan

Today is a Smorgasbord of stuff

My Philadelphia Flyers are supposed to play outside today in Lake Tahoe against the Boston Bruins. Game has already been pushed back from 2pm to this evening due to extreme weather of too much sunshine and warmth. Aww – that’s rough. The NHL does miss out on being on network television and to push to another channel – lost money. But – I then heard Gary Bettman (hockey commish) push out this quote “You can’t have success if you don’t risk failure.” Not a huge Bettman fan, but good quote from him.

The Adventures of Mr. Sticky –

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I saw on Spotify how one of the guys at Third Man Records (Jack White’s record company) created a Night Bath playlist to listen to at night. But, since I saw it this morning, I tried it out and chilled to it while journaling and reading. I’m excited because I might have a new go-to playlist for my time in the house library. I’m not a fan of silence.

Winston Churchill – The Last Lion – I can’t wait to read this!

QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“You have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life” – I saw that on Mark Manson’s Instagram post, but it’s Winston Churchill

Travel mug day . . . that means I’m on the road today working. Fun. My daughter was sad, so she wanted me to have company. She gave me “Mr. Sticky” (watch that video below). It’s okay. You can laugh. I made this with her. As you can see – Arts and Crafts is obviously not my strong suit. Alright, you can stop laughing now. Anyway, “Mr. Sticky” is coming with me and today I’ll send my daughter pictures to her iPad. He even has a backpack. Guess he’s doing some drawing today with me.

Thank you for the recipes to make my own Butterfinger Peanut Butter. But – I want Butterfinger to actually come out with their own PB. Open up that jar and see that smooth top. And yes – I’ll dig in with a spoon.

IRREVELAVANT FACT OF THE DAY:
The house in Pixar’s UP has exactly 10,297 balloons on it.

QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“Are your obligations real or imagined?” – Max Shank

50 videos / 50 runs of 5k! / Small milestone, eh?

Answers to 3 questions:

1. Did I finish the Sleepy book (Why We Sleep)? No – not yet. Before March – that’s the goal!
2. Do I still have a hole in my pants? Yes, but not these. I’m hanging onto those cargos for as long as I can. Trying to get to the cargo shorts weather, but it’s still so cold.
3. You talk about WandaVision a lot. What did you think of the Mandalorian? Well, I have talked about Mandalorian. And I loved it. My man, Berman, who is my guru on anything Star Wars gave me the heads up about its nomination for Best Drama Television Series at the Golden Globes! If something Star Wars is happening, he’s tweeting about it. If someone dies, he’s the first to always know and tweet about it. Been busy lately huh, Berman. Yesterday, we lost Prince Markie Dee of “The Fat Boys” – he was only 52.

New Music Friday:

• New songs from Ariana Grande and 24kGoldn, but nothing major and no surprises. No new Drake either – still rehabbing his knew, so that January promised album looks like it’s not happening for February.

• New song released – Way Less Sad – from AJR’s upcoming album which will be out in its entirety on March 26th

• Manchester Orchestra Announce New Album, Share New Song “Bed Head”

• Something for Green Day fans, the three bandmates will be landing alongside many others in the next Funko POP Rocks wave! They will join fellow punk bands like Fall Out Boy and Blink 182 as have their own figures.

QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“If you swallow the coin
From the wishing well
Your dreams will come true
In heaven or hell”

Sent to Tom Morello in late night text message by fellow Audioslave member Chris Cornell.

So, I accidentally checked my work email this morning. Who cares, right? Well, I saw some things and it already got the wheels turning in that “work mode” direction. A little earlier than I wanted. Typically, I try to shut down my email at night and not look at it again until the following morning – after my run, after the video, after a little Brent time.

But – it’s snowing. So, I opened up my phone to check the weather apps and BAM! – I left my work email open from last night. I saw some of the listed emails and now know what I got in store for my day ahead. Fun stuff . . . that I just don’t want to be thinking about right now. I had today all prepped – talk about a possible Morning Babble goat – Tim Ferriss.

I had to stop the downward spiral from spinning, so I changed up my video prep music and went with The Fratellis – an upbeat rock band that makes me smile. But – I also picked up this book by Steven Pressfield: the WAR of ART. We are all fighting Resistance and this book helps you punch it in its face. Seriously. I have read it a couple times, but really like having it nearby on days like today. The stories are quick and short – like one page – or a little longer, but only 2 to 3 page tales. Today, I read from page 07:

“Resistance is Invisible: Resistance cannot be seen, touched, heard, or smelled. But it can be felt. We experience it as an energy field radiating from a work-in-potential. It’s a repelling force. It’s negative. Its aim is to shove us away, distract us, prevent us from doing our work.”

HAPPY FRIDAY EVE!

QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“When you stop chasing the wrong things, you give the right things a chance to catch you.” – Lolly Daskal

My son sits over there and plays his Fortnite on X-Box. The headset gear is on and he’s rapping it out with his buds . . . or his “bros”. The phrase that is continually said over and over again . . . “I like Ya Cut G”.

I Like Ya Cut G refers to a video in which a man addresses a bald child, saying “I like ya cut, G” before slapping his head. The video has been remixed and recreated numerous times, sometimes adding a humorous noise after the slap.

48 days in a row – 5k!

QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“If it entertains you now but will bore you someday, it’s a distraction. Keep looking.” – Naval Ravikant

47 days in a row. I need something to help me with the tally especially with the future months. In the beginning, it’s easy because you have 31 days in January and then you add it to the 16 days of February so far – hence, 47 days in a row. Also, I have decided that the goal has extended by one day. I want to run through January 1, 2022. This way, if I accomplish this goal of running a 5k every day for a year . . . I can also tell that one person who would ask about it being a leap year or not, I ran a 5k for 366 days in a row. Don’t cheapen my year! Haha! I’m smiling, but you know there would be that one person who asked.

On the treadmill, I was listening to the Kevin Rose podcast. For this episode, his guest was Dr. Andrew Huberman who was discussing the benefits of bright light therapy early in the morning. Ideally, you would expose yourself to bright light within an hour of waking up. However, it can still be done within 4 to 6 hours of waking. Plus, you only really need the bright light exposure for 2 to 10 minutes. Sunlight is the best, course. By doing this, you set your circadian clock and quiet your melatonin for the next 14 to 16 hours. This also is very beneficial in reducing anxiety and depression. So be sure to add some bright light to your morning routine of waking up!

And finally, not to get too healthy on you, just a reminder that Shamrock Shakes are back at McDonald’s. First the spicy nugget, now the Shake! Go enjoy them both.

QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“Many people lose the small joys in the hope for the big happiness” – by Pearl S. Buck

Okay, so yesterday – it was Valentine’s Day, but it was bacon, bacon, bacon, too. For our dinner, we were going to prep a Thanksgiving dinner and for the turkey, I joked about dressing it with bacon. Well, we did it. And – it was glorious. AND – we have leftovers!

Happy President’s Day? Go enjoy a good sale? I know back in my radio days for New Year’s Day, they would send us out to a carpet location because of the great sales that they were having. I never understood that. Great deals on carpets on New Year’s Day? But – the place was always packed. I mean, I know we were advertising it and teasing that we would be there for that coveted free radio station t-shirt. BUT – there was a ton of people there that I know didn’t hear about it on the radio. They just knew: Carpet sale on New Year’s Day – we are so there.

Anyway, I get a lot of daily emails. I’ll need to edit that list down and review some of the the ones that I truly do cherish arriving to my inbox. Off the top of my head, the favorites are from: Seth Godin / Morning Brew / Daily Dad

QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“When you arrive home, you should be like Ulysses S. Grant, be ready to wrestle. Ready to be present. Ready to have fun. Ready to be the dad they want…not the dad that’s left over after the ravages of the day.” – Ryan Holiday via Daily Dad

I have not run yet today . . . it’s Sunday, so remember, I change up the routine today.  It felt good to leave the running shoes right where they were for the time being. They currently reside on the floor next to my bed with their designated running sock in each shoe.  They’re ready.  I’m not.  Not yet.

Happy Valentine’s Day! Hoping every one has that special someone to give a hug or snuggle up to today.  If not, ehhhh . . . no big deal.  Love yourself – gotta do that first anyway.

Looking forward to breakfast this morning.  Anticipating bacon.  Also, hoping for bacon.  As Jim Gaffigan states, Bippity Boppity Bacon. What’s for breakfast?  Bacon. And after that? More Bacon. And finally after that? Hmmm, maybe some more Bacon.  Perfect.
Today, we are actually cooking up a Thanksgiving dinner.  Gonna have a turkey in the oven – smelling good all day.  I remember many years ago for Pigskin Gourmet, Cecil & I covered a turkey with bacon and grilled it.   Go check that out by clicking here. Mmmm – bacon.

Meanwhile, my appetizer for breakfast is Lucky Charms in a cup . . . which makes your burps smell like dog food. Whew – all over the place! Run coming up after breakfast!

QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“Saying, “I love you,” is one thing.  Living “I love you,” is a whole other story.” – by Topher Kearby

I ran. I didn’t say it again yesterday, but I did. AND – I ran today, too. So, I made a new blue card to help remind me about saying it (check that video below).

Books!

1st – Thank you to Beth for sending me the Mad Libs books. Recently, I claimed that I didn’t have any fun books, but now I do. AND – my kids enjoy them with me. Many thank yous again for your kindnes, Beth!

Next, I’ve talked before about reading Matthew Walker’s book – Why We Sleep. Well, I’m still reading it. Typically, I read at night and I’ve been getting stuck in Chapter 8 on page 166. One night, I read a fact about “the simplest reduction of sleep by 1 or 2 hours will promptly speed the contracting rate of a person’s heart, hour upon hour, and significantly increase the systolic blood pressure within their vasculature.” What? I went to bed. So, the next night, I got through the top half of the page. Unfortunately, at the bottom of it, I then read, “If you were on of the individuals who were obtaining just five to six hours each night or less, you were 200 to 300 percent more likely to suffer calcification of your coronary arteries over the next five years.” Again, What? So, I went to bed again. This weekend, during the day, I’m hoping to read and get through all of this.

Finished Sapiens on Audible. It was good . . . I enjoyed it. But next . . . I was looking forward to this one after I joined Audible again. David Goggins and his book Can’t Hurt Me. I began listening today on the treadmill. That book is going to make me run – a lot.

QUOTE OF THE DAY:
I actually took this directly from The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman – it was on yesterday’s daily post. Inspiring us to do something:

“Don’t forget to ask: Is this really the life I want? Every time you get upset, a little bit of life leaves the body. Are these really the things on which you want to spend that priceless resource? Don’t be afraid to make a change – a big one!”

– by The Daily Stoic (from the February 12th day, page 52)